Will the Church in Wales be extinct in 15 years?

The Church in Wales may be small (a weekly attendance of 25,000 and falling) but as this blog has noted in the past it seems determined to shrink further.   The Church Growth Modelling website predicts that it might be close to extinction in less than fifteen years, with just a few large urban congregations surviving.

John Heyward, who made this prediction, explains why the Church in Wales faces such a bleak future:

“Sadly, this liberal transformation of the church is likely to hasten its decline rather than reverse it. Churches do not grow by becoming like society and attracting people, but by becoming like Jesus and converting people. For that to happen, it needs a clear understanding of the gospel of salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit to change people. The church needs to confront the current cultural norms rather than embrace them. I hope and pray that the Church in Wales will turn from its current liberal path and re-embrace the truths of Christianity before it is too late.”

At the Governing Body meeting in Lampeter this week, the Bishop of St Asaph, Rt Rev Gregory Cameron, demonstrated that the bishops of the Church in Wales have no intention of answering John Heyward’s prayer and are planning to double down on their liberal agenda.

The Bishop of St Asaph’s comments were made in response to a question from Rev Geraint John who asked whether the Bench of Bishops would, “support a more robust course of action to protect LGBTQI+ people across the province by leading the way and banning conversion therapy (in all its forms) within the Church in Wales ahead of any government legislation.”  

Rev John’s written question suggested four proposals to achieve this. This blog will consider each proposal in turn, along with the Bishop of St Asaph’s response.

Read here